Shattered
by Melpomene Rose
Summary: To anyone else, her smile was warm, kind, sincere but only he could discern a true smile from her politician’s smile. Her violet eyes were tired, he noticed before he flipped off the telescreen.


**Hi minna! This one is kind of an experiment...it's been sitting on my hard drive for ages, and i thought you might like it :-) please read and enjoy (and maybe even review!). i hope you like it!**

**All Standard Disclaimers Apply (ASDA)**

"Thank you for your time, good night." He watched as Relena, President of the ESUN, stepped down from the podium and smiled carefully. To anyone else, her smile was warm, kind, sincere; but only he could discern a true smile from her politician's smile. Her violet eyes were tired, he noticed before he flipped off the telescreen and forced himself back to the books that littered his desk. Those eyes haunted his dreams, always looking at him with shattered love. It had been almost four years since he had last seen those eyes in person. Since the end of the (Marimeia) incident when he had come to her deep underground. His mission, his only thought her safety. Prussian blue eyes closed as he spiraled into memory. ---

He had just 'killed' Mariemaia. Relena filled his eyes; he drank her in like a dying man thirsted for water in the desert. He stumbled towards her, unwillingly sliding into darkness. She caught him as he fell, cradling his head against her chest. Through the buzzing in his head he heard her voice.

"Heero..." She had whispered against his hair, her tears wetting his forehead. He had woken in a hospital bed, his right arm in a cast and bandages on his head. It was night, and the room was even more desolate in the wan moonlight. There was warmth encircling his left hand, and he looked over in surprise. Relena held his hand firmly; as if she were afraid he would disappear like smoke. She had fallen asleep watching over him, her head resting on an unused portion of the bed. His breath caught in his throat as he gazed upon her; hair pooling about her head in a honey brown halo. He scrutinized every inch of her to make sure she was unharmed and fought down the acid rush of anger when he saw that she was not. Numerous scratches crisscrossed her alabaster skin; a deep cut on her smooth forehead had been stitched tightly closed. The angry bruise on her cheekbone taunted him. He realized that the hand holding his was thickly bandaged as well. _I failed; _he thought to himself, _no matter how hard I try, she always gets hurt._

And so the soldier left his princess in that hospital room. She, sleeping peacefully with her head atop her folded arms, content to be with the man she loved; he, slipping silently out the door; self loathing burning deeply in his gut.

Heero had left a piece of him with her that night, his heart. Even though he couldn't bring himself to tell her goodbye, hoping the jacket he had draped across her shoulders could convey the depth of his feeling. ---

Heero Yuy, college student, slammed his philosophy text shut and shoved himself away from his desk. How could he concentrate with her filling his mind, leaving no space for the concepts of Socrates and Kant? In truth, he couldn't. It had been four years, yes; but his feelings for Relena had grown. He ran a hand through his unruly mahogany hair and threw on his jacket. His small apartment was stifling him; it was as if just thinking about her filled the rooms with her essence. He had to get out of there, without a thought the young man's feet took him far from his small apartment and his books. Before he knew it, he was standing in front of the graceful wrought iron gates in front of a large Victorian mansion. _Her mansion..._He thought to himself before climbing it. It was easy to dodge the security detail and the laser system. After all, he had designed it; it wasn't as if he didn't know what he was doing. Her light was on. Suddenly, Heero was grateful for the big overreaching oak tree. Relena had refused to cut it down, citing it's long life and her childhood memories. Heero had tried to explain the danger of large tree branches close to her bedroom window; it was almost as if serving herself up on a silver platter to any lucky assassin. _She's so stubborn..._He thought to himself as he easily scaled the large tree.

He watched through the window. They were preparing her. Preparing to sell her off to the highest bidder at tonight's ball. Of course, the genteel called it 'arranged marriage,' but Heero knew it was all bullshit. She was still the queen of the world; any megalomaniac with enough money and influence could buy her. A trophy, a costly trinket to be admired, non-human. Then, the afore mentioned megalomaniac would use her for her position; ruling the world through a puppet queen. Not that she was much more than that at this point anyway. But what was truly heartbreaking is that she knew it. Relena Peacecraft was a pawn, and the taciturn soldier outside her window saw the anguish it caused her. She only wanted to make the world safer for everyone, even soldiers like himself. With the drive and intelligence of a general, she was willing to do almost anything to see her dream fulfilled. _Even sell herself..._

His mind wandered back to the day he met her, that beach was so desolate. Seawater soaked his space suit, dragging down; it took every ounce of energy to crawl onto the shore. Waves and sand faded into nothingness. He was at peace for a time, until his body had recovered enough to function more normally. Eyes slowly opened, the sun lancing into his retinas like a razor; his head pounded. Someone had removed his helmet. _I've been compromised! _ Of course his first coherent thoughts were about his mission. Heero had nothing sustaining him; the mission was all.

Someone was looking down at him; a blur of yellow and burgundy someone. A tentative hand brushed against his forehead, something about it sent electricity through his veins and he snapped into consciousness. Heero threw the someone roughly to the ground and drew his gun. His eyes cleared; a girl? They had underestimated him so much they had sent a girl? No, she wasn't trained, not like he was. He stood over her, gun pointed at her head; and she looked up at him. Her violet eyes showed no fear, only a calm acceptance. The wind curled its way along the beach, whipping her golden blonde hair around her face. Blue eyes locked on violet, the moment was stretched to the breaking point. Finally one of them spoke.

"Did you see?" He had demanded, his eyes wide and panicked. Without waiting for an answer from the startled girl, Pilot 01 bolted. Paramedics rushed down the stairs to aid the 'drowning victim,' but he pushed past them roughly; not caring if they were injured. He jumped into the waiting ambulance and sped off. His only concern was of his mission and the destruction of the witness. _The girl... _


End file.
